Tenpenny Tower
by Haxxo
Summary: After months on the road in the Capital Wasteland, Eli is relieved to stumble upon Tenpenny Tower but he quickly realizes it is a blessing in disguise.
1. Chapter 1: The Tower in the Distance

Chapter 1: The Tower in the Distance

For the last several months, Eli had been living on the road in the unforgiving Capital Wasteland. The long list of creatures and raiders trying to kill him had been his only companions for a while now so when he saw the enormous tower standing tall, far in the distance surrounded by the great desert and the crumbling ruins of pre-war buildings, he was relieved mainly because he was in pretty bad shape. On top of severe radiation poisoning, he had no food, no Stimpaks, no ammo and all his equipment was falling apart.

"Damn I need a vacation." He muttered to himself. Eli stopped in his tracks for a water break before walking the remaining distance to the tower but even before looking in his pack, he laughed and swung his pack, back over his shoulder. He had finished his last water bottle 2 weeks ago and since then, he had been barely surviving on the highly irradiated water of any abandoned restroom he could find, but for some reason he always seemed to check his pack, just in case. He licked his cracked lips with his dry tongue, adjusted his shotgun and his pack one more time and began walking towards the tower once more.

As he got closer to the tower, he was able to make out more details and could see it was fortified with enormous cement blocks which surrounded the entire perimeter and this made him breathe a sigh of relief. This was a sure sign that it was inhabited and this suspicion was confirmed when he got nearer. He could hear shouting and he could see a man, or what seemed like a man, waving his arms wildly at the entrance. Before Eli could reach the entrance though, the man had walked off angrily towards a decrepit metro station half a mile away.

Eli came up to the tall, red gate and knocked on it. He waited a moment and when there was no response he sighed and started walking away, planning his next course of action, but stopped and turned around when he heard a voice start yelling at him from nowhere.

"For the last time, we're not letting any stinkin' ghouls in so stop knocking!" squawked the voice. A quick look around the gate revealed a small intercom with a glowing red button on it. Eli walked over to it and tried to compose himself. Several months exposed to the elements of the Wasteland had taken a toll on him and he wanted to make a good first impression on the residents of this building.

"Is that how you treat everyone that comes by here?" Eli asked sarcastically after clearing his throat several times. For a while there was no response and once again, Eli started losing hope when the intercom crackled to life.

"Sorry about that, that ghoul Roy Philips has been bitching all day trying to get in here. Anyways, what's your business here, stranger?" asked the voice suspiciously. Eli thought quickly. The fact the person was asking made him realize that no one is let into these gates unless they have a good reason. Eli looked around aimlessly for inspiration when he saw an old, brass plaque mounted on the gate that read "Tenpenny Tower." The name seemed oddly familiar and after thinking for a few seconds, he finally remembered where he had heard it before. The mysterious Mr. Burke, who Eli had met in Moriarty's Saloon, had offered him a great deal of caps to blow up Megaton and had told him to meet him at this tower when the job was done. Even though he never blew up Megaton, Eli thought he'd give his idea a shot.

"I'm here to see Mr. Burke." responded Eli. He let go of the intercom's button and slumped over against the gate. Eli began feeling very faint in the heat and right before he thought he couldn't take it anymore, the voice responded.

"Mr. Burke isn't here at the moment but you're welcome to come in and wait for him." Eli quickly lifted himself off of the gate as it slid open. He took a few tentative steps inside and was simply amazed at what he saw. Right in front of him was a fountain, flowing with crystal clear water, the clearest he had seen since leaving the Vault. Before he could run over and drink the water though, the man from the intercom grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

"Jeez you look like hell. I'm Chief Gustavo and I just want you to know that if you cause any trouble or disturb any of our residents, you're outta here, right back into that living hell. I've got my eye on you." Eli nodded in understanding and smiled, turned towards the water fountain and promptly blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2: Recovery and Reconnaissance

Chapter 2: Recovery and Reconnaissance

Eli woke up with a crushing headache. He ached all over and it took him a few minutes to muster up the energy required to simply open his eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes and finally took a look at his surroundings. He was lying on a very comfortable cot in the middle of a very clean infirmary which he assumed was inside Tenpenny Tower. After taking a moment to adjust, Eli tried to sit up on his cot and immediately regretted the decision. He became extremely dizzy and out of nowhere someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Woah there, take it easy my friend." Eli turned his head and saw a man in a white lab coat watching over him. The man gently pushed Eli back into a lying position and glanced at a monitor nearby.

"You should relax a little bit; you've been through a lot." The man said, "Let me introduce myself, I'm Doc Banfield and I'm the guy who brought you back from the edge of death. I don't think you realize in what shitty condition you were in. Dehydration, exhaustion, hell, you were damn near a ghoul with the amount of radiation poisoning you had. But don't worry my friend; Ole Doc Banfield fixed you up well." He patted Eli on the shoulder and walked over to a wooden cabinet not far from the cot. He opened it and revealed row after row of Stimpaks, the lifeblood of any Wastelander.

"Although I was able to treat your radiation poisoning and rehydrate you while you were sleeping, I need you to be conscious in order to administer this," He points to the Stimpak, "This'll get you right back on your feet, but I'm sure you know that already." Doc Banfield smiled reassuringly and walked back over to the cot with a Stimpak in hand. Eli realized he hadn't said anything and figured he should at least thank the Doctor for everything he did.

"Thank you." Croaked Eli. His throat was horribly dry and it hurt to talk.

"No need to thank me, just doing my duty." Replied Doc Banfield. He put down the Stimpak and walked through a doorway, out of Eli's line of sight. He came back a few moments later with a large glass filled to the brim with water.

"Enjoy this." The Doctor said to him as he handed the glass to Eli. Eli took the glass gratefully and took a small sip. The cold, crisp fluid ran down the back of his throat and he was instantly revitalized. The taste of fresh water not only quenched his thirst but it made him feel safe. Eli looked at Doc Banfield and smiled. He set down the glass on a small table near his cot and said,

"This water is nice, but I could really go for a Stimpak right about now." Doc Banfield nodded and retrieved the Stimpak he had set down earlier and made his way back to Eli. Without saying a word, the Doctor administered the Stimpak without a protest from Eli since he already knew what to expect. Eli relaxed and felt the effects right away and closed his eyes. He could feel the healing serum running through his veins, rejuvenating his broken body and making him feel like a new man. He opened his eyes briefly to observe the effects of the Stimpak on the outside of his body. Even though he had witnessed it many times before, the way the chemical healed him had always amazed him. He concentrated on a small, open wound on his right forearm and within seconds, he started seeing tiny, silver strands stretching from one side of the wound to the other. In an instant, the strands were connecting to each other, forming a silver patch where the wound used to be before finally shimmering and matching his skin color.

"I think that's just about it." Eli said contentedly.

"I think you're right," said Banfield, "I'm just going to check you out and then you're free to go." Eli nodded and swung his legs over the side of the cot and jumped down. No more than 10 minutes ago, he could barely wiggle his toes and now he was walking around with a hop in his step.

"Ah, the marvels of ancient technology." Said Eli jokingly. Doc Banfield laughed and then started testing Eli's reflexes and eye sight.

"If I hadn't seen you half dead an hour ago, I wouldn't have believed it if someone told me. You're in tip top shape and you are officially discharged from my infirmary." Said Doc Banfield after completing his examination.

"Thanks Doc, I really don't know what I would've done if I hadn't passed out on your front porch." Eli replied. He shook Doc Banfields hand, grabbed his bag and right before he was going to walk out of the door, Doc Banfield said,

"You know, if you want to stay a bit longer, I could keep you under "medical supervision" for a while. I know how tough the Wastes can be and judging by the condition you were in when you were brought to me, I'd think you wouldn't mind a break from it all." He took a piece of paper from one of the shelves lining the walls and scribbled something on it.

"Take this and give it to Chief Gustavo, this should keep him off your back for a while." Eli took the note and stood there without saying anything for a while. This was the nicest anyone had been to him since leaving the Vault and he couldn't believe it.

"I really don't know what to say Doc, you've been so generous, is there any way I can repay, any way at all?" Eli said finally.

"Your well-being is enough of a reward for me, now off you go, enjoy your vacation from Hell. Just go through that doorway right there, "he pointed," and you'll be in the main lobby." Doc Banfield responded. Eli shook his hand furiously and finally left the infirmary. He was feeling really good and decided to look around a bit and get acquainted with the residents of Tenpenny Tower.

After walking a short distance he made his way into the main lobby and stood in the middle of it, dazed, for a solid minute. The main lobby was enormous and it was immaculate. The ceiling stood 20 feet above him and in hanging in the middle of it was a crystal chandelier.


End file.
